Blackheads are not a skin problem. They are caused by internal problems, either glandular or because of the wrong oils in food. Make sure that your diet is totally free of saturated fats. Nothing deep fried, in fact, nothing fried. Any oil will get saturated when heated. No margarine and definitely no shortening. No animal fats, except fish fats.

The oils you should take in are

virgin olive oil

fish oils

canola oil

(mustard oil)

Make sure those oils are cold pressed, i.e. not extracted by heating. Use them in salads.

Blackheads are not a skin problem. They are caused by internal problems, either glandular or because of the wrong oils in food. Make sure that your diet is totally free of saturated fats. Nothing deep fried, in fact, nothing fried. Any oil will get saturated when heated. No margarine and definitely no shortening. No animal fats, except fish fats.

The oils you should take in are

virgin olive oil

fish oils

canola oil

(mustard oil)

Make sure those oils are cold pressed, i.e. not extracted by heating. Use them in salads.

Blackheads are not a skin problem. They are caused by internal problems, either glandular or because of the wrong oils in food. Make sure that your diet is totally free of saturated fats. Nothing deep fried, in fact, nothing fried. Any oil will get saturated when heated. No margarine and definitely no shortening. No animal fats, except fish fats.

The oils you should take in are

virgin olive oil

fish oils

canola oil

(mustard oil)

Make sure those oils are cold pressed, i.e. not extracted by heating. Use them in salads.

Blackheads are not a skin problem. They are caused by internal problems, either glandular or because of the wrong oils in food. Make sure that your diet is totally free of saturated fats. Nothing deep fried, in fact, nothing fried. Any oil will get saturated when heated. No margarine and definitely no shortening. No animal fats, except fish fats.

The oils you should take in are

virgin olive oil

fish oils

canola oil

(mustard oil)

Make sure those oils are cold pressed, i.e. not extracted by heating. Use them in salads.

Sometimes skin care products can compound the problem. If they are harsh or drying to the skin, it will cause the pores to produce even more oil. Check the labels or try discontinuing their use for a while.
The old standby is an oatmeal facial. Some people mix some honey in it, which is nourishing to the skin. Mix enough hot water with 2 minute oatmeal to make a paste. Smooth on the skin and leave until dry. Then use a dry washcloth to rub the skin. This will remove a lot of the blackheads. Then rinse the remaining residue from the skin.
Hopefully others will have more suggestions for you.

What I'm trying right now is using aloe vera gel with a couple of drops of tea tree oil added. I also have a standby extra moisturising clinique moisturiser because it can still get dry and oily at the same time. I have found that my oily skin is less oily and more healthy when I use products for dry skin, because the oily skin products dry it out and don't actually help at all in the long run.

I found that I cannot use any lotion or skin care product (even cleansers) that contain petroleum products, especially mineral oil. It clogs my pores and will cause either blackheads or break outs, no matter where on my body I use it - except my hands. There are products that do NOT use mineral oil, even commercial brands, but you have to read the labels. I find for myself that I can use natural oils such as coconut, sesame, apricot kernal, spearmint, palm kernal, and eucalyptus globulus oil without problems. I too have oily skin, but in the winter here in Wisconsin, even oily skin will dry out.
I found a facial cleanser that I really love and works great for getting rid of blackheads. It's made by Jafra Cosmetics International. Its a little on the pricy side, but for me, worth every penny. Hope this helps.

Traute, I'm very interested in your ideas about what is healthy for us humans to be eating. When you say no animal fats except from fish, does that mean you are vegetarian? What kind of things do you eat on a regular basis, and how do you prepare them? I don't mean for you to post a bunch of recipes, but just a kind of general outline of what you feel constitutes a healthy daily diet. I take great interest in reading your postings, and so often you suggest eliminating foods that I eat quite regularly, so I'm just wondering what you eat. Hope you check back here, and looking forward to your reply, thanks. Corrie

I'm suprised no has mentioned drinking water. Drink ten 8 ounce glasses of water a day to hydrate your body and give your skin a chance to flush the dirt and oil from its pores.
Remember, skin is an organ not just something which keeps our insides from falling out. *g*

Well I do all the above things mentioned and I still have a lot of blackheads.So did my paternal grandfather and his sisters (my great aunts).I make & use my own natural skin toner & facial scrub,use natural,vegetable-based moisturizers only in certain areas - not all over.I also use a natural,olive oil soap w/ calendula & honey,wash my face twice daily, and occasionally make & use an oatmeal/clay mask.I use tea tree oil on spots.

I think skin type should be taken into account as well.Mine is very oily & "sallow",w/ tight pores that get blocked easily.

My skin used to be much worse,though - before I gave up caffeine.Sugar - refined white sugar - definitely is aggravating too.One book I have,"Prescription for Nutritional Healing" states that acne is sometimes called'diabetes of the skin'.

Keep in mind "a lot" is a very vague term @ best.One person's "a lot" may not be the same as another's.I guess it depends on how critical you are.

Hi Jay! Blackheads are basically the accumilation of dirt and oil which become embedded in the pores. If left this way a waxy emulsion forms over the top sealing it up and making removal difficult. During the years I worked in skin care I found the best method of dealing with them is to use a CREAMY type rinse-off cleanser. Soap, even the best, did not match up. Once you have the situation under control you can use soap if you like that better and only use the creamy cleanser once or twice a week for deeper cleaning. It sounds as if you have combination skin...oily around the forehead, nose & chin & drier on the cheeks? If so you should use products formulated especially for combanation type skin. Also, soften the blackheads by taking a washcloth and heating it in hot tap water then holding it to the affected areas for 10 -15 min before washing two to three times a week til you get it under control. Be sure you wash and rinse gently but thoroughly and use some type of light weight moisturizer. I rambled but I hope I've given you another option. Let me know if you try it out and how it works. Take care, Nomad

I am not vegetarian, because I do eat fish and some fowl, and also eggs, but all in small portions and none of them with coating which traps fat. Anything deepfried has always made me sick instantly. I ate some cookies containing a lot of butter yesterday, because I did not want to be rude to a hostess. Well, I almost threw up. My body is conditioned by over 60 years of healthy eating and revolts at fats.

The good oils, however, help the body to eliminate the bad oils just like the good cholesterol helps the body to get rid of bad cholesterol. It you really want to learn to change your way of eating, I suggest you go to http://drweil.com and work your way through his "8 weeks to a healthy America." You can also get the book in the library. Several GardenWebbers joined that program online when it was running once a year. It will not be running any more, because the site has started a new focus, but all the info is still available.

I just checked the site and noticed that the link is on the left hand column as "8 week plan."

Carol is right on about the formation of the black. As long as the oil from inside the body is inside the cell, it is white. It is the contact with the air which makes it turn black.

Whether you use cream on top of your skin or not has no impact on the fat inside a cell. It does not enter it and gets washed off again. There is one exception, though, and that is vitamin A oil. It penetrates the skin very quickly and the vitamin A fights infection. So it is actually good for acne. I am talking about the oil right out of the vitamin capsule. If your skin is infected from acne, it is a good remedy.

My favorite skin cleanser is cucumber. I love to eat the vegetable and use the peel to clean my face, hands, and arms. It is very refreshing and good for every kind of skin. Try it. You will love it.

Hi Jay! Try this if you can...
In clean jar, blend 2 oz. grapeseed oil, 4 capsules borage seed or evening primrose oil (poke with pin and squeeze oil out),10 drops tea tree oil, 3 drops lavender oil, 3 drops chamomile oil, and 3 drops geranium oil.
Wash your face first with a mixture of 1/4 cup epsom salts to 1 quart COOL filtered water with a couple drops of lavender oil added. Use a soft cloth wetted with this to clean your face and use as compress throughout the day if possible. Apply the oil mixture lightly with clean fingers at night before you go to bed.
Another thing to do would be a steam facial. Put very hot, steaming water in a bowl with a couple drops tea tree or lavender oil added and hang your face over the steam with a towel over your head. Come up for air as needed, and finish with a cold chamomile tea splash.
Good luck!! Been there, done that, and these ingredients are in small enough proportions for even sensitive skin (like mine!)

I just read an article in the newspaper (Ann Landers Column) about a woman who'd had bad acne for years. She was in the World Bank in Washington DC, when a beautiful East Indian woman came up to her and said, 'Oh no, Ugly red spots on pretty face. You fix with egg yolks.' The Indian lady proceeded to tell her to use raw egg yolk on her face every day, letting it dry for 10 minutes, and then to wash it off with water, repeating the process every day for a month, and after that, twice a month for three months. That would make the spots go away, and if they ever come back, just do it all again. The woman did not believe the Indian woman, but tried it anyway, and it worked remarkably.

Since Egg yolks are very high in vitamin A, a dermatologist concluded the article by saying that the A is the active ingredient in this home remedy. So Traute is right, as usual! I'm guessing that you could just make an egg for breakfast every day, take the yolk out and use that on your face or wherever the acne might be, plus get the added benefit of lowering your cholesterol by not eating all those yolks.

I have not tried the above remedy, because I have not been having a problem with acne right now. I'm using a plain glycerin soap on my face at night, and when it feels particularly oily during the day. I went to a dermatologist for a few years, who gave me all sorts of creams that bothered my skin, and I tried almost every over-the-counter cream and soap with little results. I just noticed that the plain glycerin soap works well for me, much better than the medicated ones. I do use a cucumber soap on occasion. I'm also working very hard at not touching my face, because oil and dirt from my hands cannot help anything. Hope this helps, James

One thing you should avoid is, if you have bangs or long hair that you wear loose, try to keep them out of your face cause if you have oily hair/bangs and it gets on your face the oil in your hair will go on your face and **poof** blackheads. **Linds**

Hey! I have Blackheads on my nose, and slighty on my forehead, also some by my chin. I was my face 2wice maybe 3 times a day to get rid of these things. I use a Anti Bactrial hand wash on my face, it kept most of them at bay, untill now. When i use the lotion it makes my skin dry, and the skin on my nose has started to peel, so i have to use E-45 to mouisturise it. What is the best thing to do to get rid of these ugly things. I am in the UK so a UK product would be good! Cheers!

I had acne and blackheads all my life. The only thing that worked for me was exercising enough to sweat my pores clean and eating lots of fresh raw vegtables. I'm 41 now and if I don't eat right, get stressed or stop exercising they come back.
If its any help, I noticed that people my age I know that didn't have real oily skin look much older than I do. My mother told me I wouldn't age as fast with oily skin but I didn't care as a teenager.

Jay here is a very old recipe this goes back decades and told by my grandmother who past away 10 years ago.This I tried on my husbands sister at the time 15 years old,it took one week.Every day for one week she had 2 slice bread you cut GARLIC in slices place the GARLIC between and a tall glass of milk to drink,onces a day for one week.Also I love to cook with GARLIC.Tip=best cosmetic=natural.Juliana--SC

I just had a facial done for the first time ever, and it was wonderful- and they extracted my blackheads for me! I didn't even know I had blackheads! I guess I had a couple on my nose, temples, and chin.

Anyway, I think the worst thing you could do to your skin is to overmedicate and not moisturize. Many people think that because there skin is oily, they shouldn't put moisturizer on it, but the opposite is true. If you don't moisturize, your skin will produce more oil to compensate. A cream cleanser (no scrubs!), a gentle toner, and a great moisturizer works well on my skin.

I also use a litte bit of tea tree oil on my problem area (chin), and when a blemish does pop up. It has great anti fungal, antiseptic, germicidal and anti-bacterial properties.

Certainly I agree with most of these suggestions. I believe that a combination of these is helpful. Exercise, eating lots of raw fruits and veggies, avoiding refined sugar, avoiding stress, moisturizing and drinking plenty of water. Though this is the first time I've heard of putting vitamin A oil from capsules on your face. I think I will try that next.

It's a good idea to look for moisturizers made from natural vegetable oils.Petroleum-based products can actually create problems & sensitivities.

Aubrey Organics makes a great oily skin gel that contains no harsh chemicals.I've really noticed a big improvement in my complexion since I started using their skin products.I put it on before bed & lightly during the day instead of makeup in hot weather.(I am not employed by them - I just really like what they're about & they're local to me)

Yes - you might find their stuff a bit pricey, but a little goes a long way(2 oz.lasts me a couple of months) & they don't cost more than the overpriced,over-perfumed crap from the cosmetic counters in the dep't. stores.

Eskimos have traditionally been free of acne until recent years. What has changed? They used to eat a great deal of blubber, but now the modern diet(McDonalds and KFC)has become the staple, and acne is commonplace among them.

What is so special about blubber? It is very high in Vitamin A. So high in fact that the average person cannot tolerate the high levels which Eskimos require in their diet.

What this means for acne sufferers is that they're probably also deficient in Vitamin A. Notice how many products are derived from it, accutane, retinol, retin A, cremes. The manufacturers of these products thrive on your deficiency.

Other vitamins and minerals which may help are related to Vitamin A. For instance, zinc improves its absorption, Vitamin E facilites it storage in the liver, and Vitamin B and D increase its effectiveness in the skin. Besides being taken internally, all of these vitamins are fat soluble and can be absorbed directly through the skin in a creme.

Vitamin A suppliment cannot be bought by itself due to overdose concerns, but you can purchase Beta-Carotine which is converted to Vitamin A in your body. Carrots works just as well.(I will not recommend fish oil or blubber because I'm a vegetarian) Be warned too much Beta-Carotine will turn your skin yellow. Suppliments of Zinc, Vitamin B, C, and D couldn't hurt either, especially if your deficiency lies with one of them.

As a side note: Distilled vinegar works well to sop up excess oil from overactive pores. It doesn't overdry and dabbed on with a tissue thoughout the day it reduces shine and gradually dissolves blackheads.

I have-well i dont know what you call it i guess that you could say a very mild case of acne!But its weird my nose and cheeks and on the side of my eyes and around are clear!Bur i have little tiny pimples!Not huge red ones and theyre tiny like bumps-but theyre not!How in the world do u get rid of them?And i have some scars!Please anything that you can give me to make my skin flawless and clear again will be greatly appreciated!Thank you so much!*shanelle*

For acne, I use zinc oxide. It is an anti-bacterial and astringent and does a great job of prevention and treatment. You can use the generic type, or use Burt's Bees Diaper Ointment- it has great herbals in it that help you skin like lavendar oil, rosemary, calendula, chamomile, rose and comfrey extracts. I have suggested it to several friends who have problem acne and have tried perscription and over the counter stuff, and they have definitely seen improvement in a short period of time. One of my friends had acne associated with pregnancy- she was devestated because she use to have perfect skin. Less than a week after using Burt's Bees, her acne pretty much went away. All you need is a tiny bit and you rub it in thouroughly morning and at nignt. It works as a great sun screen too. Hey, if it's good for a baby's bottom, then it's good enough for me!

The BEST way to get rid of blackheads is with BETONITE clay. You can get it powdered (Aztec Indian brand) or mixed with distilled water (sort of glumpy). If dry, mix with a little water and cover the blackheads with it. Wait until it dries completely. Wipe off the clay with a warm damp cloth. The blackheads will either 1) pop out by itself, 2) be absorbed into the clay or 3) look a little lighter. You can repeat applications. If they don't all come out at once, give your skin a rest and try it again the next day. After using the clay, dab the blackheads with an oily moisturizer (Vit A is good). Try using the clay the next day. You want to keep the blackheads "oiled" so they will pop out easier. So, if your skin is oily, at least dab a little moisturizer right on the blackhead.

After the blackheads pop out, cleanse the skin with a little witchhazel.

Also - steaming your face before applying the clay helps soften the blackheads and opens the pores and facilitates their removal.

I've had stubborn blackheads that were stuck for 8 months pop out within 3 days with this method.

Blackheads and acne are two different things. Tea tree oil works great on acne. It will even keep them from popping to the surface if you catch them in time.

I have tryed alot of creams and stuff but I have found that they will not work if you do not wasch your face. another thing that I have found is that if you keep touching your face they will come back again.

I have heard alot of people posting about Eggs... I found a website suggesting you try this;
1.) Break an egg, and remove the yolk.
2.) Put the albumen into a shallow dish.
3.) Prepare many pieces of cotton wool,
cut into squares.
4.) Wash your face, then using a mirror to help you,
paste the cotton squares onto your face.
5.) Do this by immersing the cotton squares
into the albumen, then sticking them onto your
face.
6.) Cover your entire face except the eyes and
mouth.
7.) Rest in an airy place.
8.) Relax, listen to soothing music, and think
beautiful thoughts.
9.) The mask of cotton will dry, the time taken
depending on humidity.
10.) Peel off the mask. Horrid blackheads will come off
with it. Repeat this treatment weekly, and results
can be seen after some months.

I would not worry about hair touching the skin. It may make it appear greasy, but it would not cause blackheads. They always come from the wrong kind of fat from the inside. Like I said before, you can counteract the effects of the wrong fats by eating the right fats.

Another extraction tool to use is...get yourself an ink pen with a plastic ink cartridge. Unscrew the outside of the ink pen, remove the ink cartridge. Now turn it upside down, using the top of the cartridge. Center over blackhead, and press, up and out comes the blackhead. The plastic cartridge will fill with the yuk. It sort of acts like a vacuum. Unlike, squeezing with your fingernails which can do more damage. This applies pressure exactly where it is needed. Try it, it works. You'd be amazed. My husband said that this trick was taught to him when he was in the Military, The Marines. Works too, on extracting blackheads out of the ear where it is impossible to squeeze. Just turn that plastic cartridge upside down and center it over the blackhead and apply pressure.

I have a bunch of blackheads and I do all the acne fighting junk and it helps but for some reason Im starting to get scars from all of them and I dont know why. Is there any way I can stop this from happening and how to get the other scars to go away sort of?

hi I have a real problem with blackheads I really have them by my nose and under my eyes and they look real nasty I"m only 13 but about three years ago my skin started getting bad I don't know why but before that I had perfect skin and now I seem to be getting pimples and more blackheads but I tried using toothpaste like one of you suggested and it worked I couldn't believe it so I suggets trying toothpaste people should try and does anyone know how I can get rid of thes pimples on my face

I am having trouble with blackheads as well.
My skin is totally clear except my nose and a few on my chin and cheeks.
I've tried all sorts of things, but I have VERY sensitive skin and most cleansers are too harsh.
Even eggs and toothpaste bother my skin. I've tried the oatmeal masque before and it does not work for me. Any suggestions?

I don't know if this helps but I use and apricot scrub St Ive's they also make the scrub for acne I use the scrub first then I use a green clay mask called Queen Helene's Mint Julep Mask it's the most amazing stuff I have ever used you can buy it Walgreen's some stores don't carry it It is very inexspensive and dries up acne and blackheads like crazy e mail me if you wanna know anything else

Just to clarify the use of betonite clay, the product I am referring to is "Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay" and you can get it at your local health food store in their beauty product aisle.

The Queen Helene's product probably has betonite in it, too. A lot of the commercial "clay" type masks have betonite in them, so if you can't find the Aztec Secret, look for a "clay mask" with betonite in it.

Betonite absorbs oil and impurities and will draw the blackhead out of the pore. Some hard-core folks injest it capsules to clean out their colons, and it is an excellent purifier for the intestines.

If you have dry skin, only use it repeatedly on the actual blackheads. You can use it occasionally all over your face, but don't use it too often if you skin is dry.

Blackheads are caused by dirt mixing with sebum and getting stuck in the pores. They don't really have anything to do with acne or eating habits. Sorry. Your pores may be putting out too much oil, but if there is no dirt there to keep the oil from clogging in the pore, all you'll get is a greasy face - not blackheads. Lots of water is very good for keeping the skin healthy - I drink 96 oz a day myself, but you still need to keep your face clean.

Although drinking a lot of water and eating a healthy diet is important, pore-size is generally determined by genetics and age. Yes - blackheads can be caused by touching your face because it puts dirt from your hands on your face. Which clogs the pores, which backs up the sebum which dries out and becomes a hard nodule in the pore, which is what a blackhead is. They are not caused by eating "saturated fats". Saturated fats like butter, coconut oil, and animal fat are very good for your skin, and will prevent wrinkling in the future. Polyunsaturated fats produce free-radicals and oxidants when burned in the body for fuel, which causes cellular damage - like wrinkles, aging and cancer. Don't be fooled by an industry designed to get rid of excess feed corn. Clean saturated fats are good for you and good for your skin and is what humans have been eating for tens of thousands of years.

Egg whites can tighten pores temporily and prevent dirt from being compacted in them so easily. Witch hazel also tightens the pores. Papaya enzymes are also pretty good at exfoliating the skin and tightening pores.

Acne and blackheads are too different things entirely, with different causes and different treatments. If you use acne treatments on blackheads, you'll just make it worse, because the chemicals will dry up and harden the sebum under the blackhead while closing up the pore and making it even more difficult to get the blackhead out. Blackheads need to be softened with steam or hot water or oil and then can drawn out easily with either betonite or with a syringe. I have used those little medicine syringes for babies on them after using betonite and they work nicely. It's important to clean and close the pore...

You know, all this negativity about a few blackheads. What may make you feel better is that if your skin is oily naturally, you will look much younger than other people as you age. Oily skin is less likely to dry out and wrinkle.
If the black spots really bother you, why not get some tanning cream, and blacken the rest of yourself, so that they aren't noticeable. As for me, Vive le difference, a few blackheads are never seen by anybody other than the person who wears them.

After I wash my face (St Ives Clear Pore Cleanser), I take regular hydrogen peroxide on a cotton ball and wipe my face with it. Then, I take a vinegar/tea tree oil mixture (approx. a 1/2 to 3/4 cup of vinegar and 6 - 7 drops of tea tree oil - shake mixture before each use) and wipe my face with that. For any pimples/problem areas I mix two drops of vegetable glycerin with 1 drop of tea tree oil.

I have been doing this for a month (once in the am, and once in the pm) and so far so good. One note: The vinegar can sting - especially after a steam. You might need to dilute the vinegar mixture with some distilled water.

Also, I try to drink a cup of green tea every day. I read somewhere that this can help. Don't know if it does - but, it can't hurt.

I might try the egg yolk thing. Has anyone tried this? If so, what were the results?

I have read that drinking a cup or two of stinging nettle tea per day can also help. I have not tried it because I don't know that much about this herb. I have some, but still need to do some research on side effects, dosage, etc. Does anyone have any information on stinging nettle?

I've heard that steam helps, too. A home for about a thousand blackheads myself, I've used this little thing that you put your face into that releases steam and your pores open up, making removal easier. If you don't have one of those, you can just boil some water, put a towel over your head and take in the steam.

I know that its hard not to "pick or pop" them, but if you are going to I have one suggestion, THE TWEEZERMAN COMEDONE EXTRACTOR. It is great, and you dont have to worry about all of the dirt and bacteria thats on your fingers and nails. Tips; steam your face first, dont press to hard with it and clean it with alcohol after you use it. I think you can get it at any drug store, if not, online at most beauty supply links. I think its the best. Hermosagirl

peel off masks, exfoliators, face masks etc are all temporay treatments. the skin is a delicate organ, when the body can not get rid of impurities via excretion the next outlet for these impurities is the skin. skin problems are a signal for problems with other organs of the body.
my advice would be to exercise regularly as sweat contains natural antibiotics to fight infection and increase blood flow to the skin surface therby carying away toxins effectively, drink 2 litres water daily and keep away from saturated fats and hydrogenated fats which the body don't recognise. take honey(organic), olive oil, hemp seed oil, black seed oil(make sure cold pressed as heated extractions are no good), and lots of fish(tuna, salmon, sushi etc).

contrary to popular belief antiseptic soaps, and skin care products should be avoided because the skin has its own natural ability to fight of infections and disease. the over use of antiseptic products renders the skin useless against infections and disease. therefore the skin becomes dormant and over time disfunctional-the end result is skin prone to infections and problems such as dry skin, oily skin and blackheads.

I have some blackheads too, every so often I use one of those blackhead removers, you know the ones you dampen them, put them on your nose and wait til they dry. Then just peel off. Someone even suggested using Elmer's glue to do the same thing.
I rarely use any thing on my face, sometimes a scrub (monthy or so). I was asked by my niece what I use, because she said I have no wrinkles and her mother has heaps. She is only 2 years older than me. Someone at work asked her if she was my Aunt. She drinks a lot of coffee and no water. I drink very little coffee, black tea and lots of water. What you put into your body has more effect than what you put on your body.

Im 19 years old and have had blackheads since i hit puberty. i cannot seem to get rid of them as they seen to be under the skin on my forehead. I will try some masks that you suggested. but any other advice would be greatly appriciated.
By the way for acne the best thing out right now is the proactive solution. you may have seen it on an infomecial. well i have tryed everything on the market both perscibed and regular shelf stuff and nothing worked and i had bad acne. but I took a gamble on the proactive solution and I must admit it does work 100%. only set back is it is fairly expensive. but ya any techniques for blackheads under the skin other than poping them email me @ sugar@idirect.ca
thanks

Well, unlike deedahx8, I haven't used that St.Ive's apricot scrub, but my cousin has and still is. From her results, I can say that it really does help with acne; hers was bad but not like others I've seen. I'm not sure if it helps with blackheads though.
Now, for really bad acne I can agree that the Proactive Solution does work only because of the people I know that have used it. The only thing with that is you have to continue to use it because if you don't, your acne will become worse or result back to what it was.
Another thing, putting toothpaste on blackheads isn't a good idea, pimples maybe, but not blackheads. What the toothpaste does is it dries out the pimple before it becomes any worse, but on blackheads, it makes the pore smaller making it harder to remove the blackhead.

I have had acne and oily skin since I was 10..I am now 37. For me, the problem wasn't lack of water..
or greasy hair..
or poor eating..
or not cleansing my face..

It is HORMONES..pure and simple.
Evening Primrose Oil, ingested daily will give your body the building blocks it needs to regulate hormones. Excessive production of certain hormones are a key trigger to skin eruptions.
Go to Wal Mart and get Evening Primrose Oil. It isn't expensive, and doesn't taste bad...it comes in capsule form. Take 2x a day, 500 to 1000 mg each time. Give it about 2 weeks. Not only will your skin clear up, but your PMS symptoms, joint pain, breast tenderness, etc * for the gals * will all but disappear. Helps men too !

Hello. I have a horrible case of blackheads on my nose and around. I've tried the Clean & Clear Blackhead Astringent stuff, and believe me it does not work. For the egg thing, is it the yoke I use or the egg white? I'm a little confused about that part.

Well I had a blackhead problem, but I've been able to get rid of most of them. By the way I am a 21 year old male. Here's my routine: First in the morning I clean my face with Biore Blemish Fighting cleanser. Then afterwards I use Aveeno Clear Complexion Moisturizer. Three times a week I use Clean and Clear Blackhead Clearing Scrub. Lastly, I use those Biore Ultra Pore Strips for the nose twice a week. The strips got rid of alot of them on my nose. Some people say they don't work, but they certainly worked for me. I've been doing this for about a week and I've gotten rid of about 80% of the blackheads on my nose. My nose used to be littered with them, but now my nose is nearly clear. Hopefully within the next week or so, I'll get rid of the remaining few.

I am having a real big problem with blackhaeds, oily skin and spots that are coming as lumps under my skin. Im 17 and this problem started when i was around 15, i've tried loads of supposed blackhaed removers and other cosmetics but none of them seem to work is there anything i can try to help me clear my face and retrieve my soft skin.

Blackheads are not a skin problem. They are caused by internal problems, either glandular or because of the wrong oils in food. Make sure that your diet is totally free of saturated fats. Nothing deep fried, in fact, nothing fried. Any oil will get saturated when heated. No margarine and definitely no shortening. No animal fats, except fish fats.
The oils you should take in are

virgin olive oil

fish oils

canola oil (mustard oil)
Make sure those oils are cold pressed, i.e. not extracted by heating. Use them in salads

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I do not have any glandular problems and have not eaten any saturated fat for over a year. I am very self concious about what I eat and do not eat anything that contains more than 5% fat of which none of it is saturated. I certainly do not deep fry anything. I still suffer from blackheads, so in my view they are a skin problem!!!!!!!!!!

People who are considering using egg white to remove blackheads DON'T because it does NOT work. You just sit there looking like a prat hoping and praying that this will cure all of your blackhead problems but I've got news for you it doesn't. So is there any more remedies that i can try if there is please, please tell me and i would appreciate it so much.

Try garlic and vitamin A suppliments and drink 10 glasses of water a day (you can substitute water for tea or juice with a lot of water in it) If nothing works you may want to see a dermatologist; you could have a chemical imbalance or something may be wrong you would never have thought of!
Best of luck!!

Hi! I have a little problem with blackheads on the lower half of my nose. I've started doing research on them today.
I think that my problem is I never eat fruit or vegtebles.
I never drink water. I never eat fish or salad. So I am seriously going to do all of these things to see if it works. Because if it is an internal problem I want to provide myself with all the proper nutrients my body needs.
Hey, taking vitamins can't hurt either...

I Ordered A Blackhead Gun Remover I Have not got It Yet but If you go To WWW.Blackhead-Gun.Com you Can Read About It And Order It If Your Satisfied With The Information they Have Gaven You,When I Get It I Will Post Another follow Up With How Well I Feel It Works On My Skin

im 15 and i've had black heads since i was 11, i've tried many products, but they only last for a short period of time...i found that the honey and oat meal facial has worked on most of my black head and tightend most of my pores...hope this helps... and good luck

Squeezing is never the answer. It will only make your skin worse in the long run and much harder to treat effectively. I know this from experience. Simple things you can do to reduce this problem are; don't oversleep, try to sleep on your back if possible, never touch your face, drink eight glasses of water a day, eat a well-balanced diet, change your pillowcase daily, use a separate face towel, clean this regularly too. These aren't the cure, but they will help you.

Have you tried the following things in combination?

Use a daily scrub in the morning before all of your other skincare treatments, or only use it three to four times a week.

Do the following three things in this order two or three times a day;
1. Use a gentle cleanser [in the morning do it after showering for a little bit to open your pores] so that you don't dry out your face too much, which causes overproduction of sebum [a gentle cleanser shouldn't have hydroxy acids]. If you have exceptionally oily skin this may not be the right cleanser for you, I don't know.

2. Dry your face after cleansing and use a toner if you have sensitive skin, or an astringent if your skin is not sensitive. If you need a toner you are probably best off finding one that is alcohol free.

3. Definitely use a moisturizer, make sure it is noncomedogenic. Finding the right moisturizer can be difficult. I'm starting to think that the lighter, less thick/viscous, it is, the better it is for blackhead prone skin.

Learn about steaming your pores. Do this in combination with a clay mask approximately every three to four days. You probably want to coordinate this with the same day that you use a scrub. Olay makes a good clay mask. WWW.eHow.com has information on this kind of stuff; the relevant page is called "how to give yourself a facial." I don't know if adding oil to the water is necessary.

It is commonly said that one should observe a skincare routine for at least two to four weeks before determining whether or not it is effective. If these things don't work for you should try to get an appointment with a dermatologist, and a licensed ethestician. This is probably something you should do first anyway. I'm personally preparing a much larger and more detailed skincare guide. It is not finished, but if you are interested I could send you a link to the information when I am finished.

Some blackheads may require extraction before a mask can really go to work on the pores. The blackhead extractor will be most useful after a shower, or especially right after five to 10 minutes of steaming your face. This tool should be used sparingly and gently, and should generally be left to the use of a professional. The blackhead extractor works especially well on skin that has been treated by astringent or some other exfoliation agent [this is a separate statement from whether or not you should actually be using astringent on your skin]. Blackheads on the nose that require extraction are aided with a finger placed gently on the inside of your nostril, yuck!

Another note relating to whiteheads;
I've noticed that moisturizers good for blackheads are not necessarily the same as moisturizers good for whiteheads. Solving whiteheads seems to require a heavier moisturizer than is good for blackheads. Moisturizer and scrub are vital in clearing the skin of whiteheads.

Another word about the content of blackheads. As has been pointed out repeatedly, it is an accumulated fat from inside the body. To be precise, it is fat which has gone rancid. Rancidity is caused when fat comes in contact with light. Rancidity can be prevented by natural source vitamin E. I add the content of a few capsules of the vitamin to bottles of oil and store them in dark bottles in dark cupboards. A normal adult requires about 800 IUs of natural source vitamin E a day, and to be absorbed by the body properly it has to be taken with a meal which contains fat. It isn't possible to obtain enough of the vitamin in food. I am sorry, I did not think of mentioning this before.

When it comes to egg, it contains some of all the fat-soluble vitamins. It also contains lecithin, in fact, in baking, one egg can be replaced by a tablespoon of liquid lecithin. My favorite face mask is made up of an egg whipped up with a teaspoon of liquid honey. Be sure to include the egg white to tighten the skin, causing wrinkles to disappear. One whole egg will make enough face masks for half a dozen people, so if you are only making one for yourself, just use a little bit of the egg and use the rest for cooking. Wash the mask off when it feels uncomfortable. You will feel like a new person after having that mask on for a while.

This is a great exercise for a hen party. I have used it when giving hands-on natural health workshops.

As per herbal cures I"m not sure. Tea tree oil could help. It works for so much else. Also peppermint. "home" remedies have often included baking soda scrub (which I can find irritating) and apple cider vinegar (diluted) as an astringent. Alpha hydroxy acids may help. Try apple sauce (unsweetened) or lemon (diluted) juice or yogurt (on the skin topically....scrub or rub in).... Clay masks are good at removing impurities. Try burt's bees green goddess or green clay mask. Or for cheapest one try Queen Helen's Mint Julep. For non "home" remedies try an astringent or cleansers (or moisturiziers?) with salycylic acid. Try ones for sensitive skin. Johnson and Johnson's clear pore line is not bad. One of my favorite skin cleansers period is milk. Soaps made with goat's milk. Milk masks etc. Yogurt as I said. All do wonders on the skin.

like bathing a dog or ferret, you stripp the layer of grease from their fur, as a result, they become overly smelly and greasy for a short time afterwards as their skin goes into overdrive trying to replace it.

ever noticed thta if u shampoo your hair and dry it it get greasy again soon, but if you shampoo it then lightly condition it then its fine, and in fact is less greasy.

this is becaus ewhen you condition you are replacing the lost grease with new, clean grease, hair stays healthy and you have more controll on how greasy your hair is.

same aplys to skin, don't soap it, just wash with water, and maybe moisurise with a good moisturiser. dry you face thourougly with a soft towl, i you leave it to air dry it will become dryed out possibly, then greasyer as you skin trys to compensate. oh and black heads may be due to the oil being oxidised by air, but its rather nonsensicle to say "its not dirt at all", the oil will get dirt lodged in it..

after moisturising, try witchhazel, it tightens pores, after all dirt DOES get lodged into the oil.

time is also a great healer. but why hasn't this thread gone? its currently 4-5 years old.

hedgewitch... the thread is still active because blackheads are up there with drunken spouses as one of the eternal problems. there were skin care products in the pyramids, for the love of Cleo ;)

everyone seems to have missed the basic problem.

a blackhead is an impacted pore. first, you have to get TO it...then you have to get it out.

papaya is the natural 'fruit acid' peel of choice, though mango and pineapple both work quite well. mash a tablespoon of the fruit, add a teaspoon of plain yogurt, and a teaspoon of colloidal oatmeal if you have it (regular old 'rolled' oats in a coffee grinder works, too)

apply to trouble spots. leave on for 5 minutes (can leave for 10 on sholders or belly) then rinse, and gently buff skin - I like using one of those new 'microfiber' cloths, but a soft (old) washcloth or flannel works.

a less 'organic' but equally natural method is kind of fun-

crush one asprin. add two drops of water to make a paste. apply to blackheads. let sit to the 'tingle' stage,then buff, and rinse.

why? because the active ingredient in asprin is the same as in those expensive refining toners...and it amounts to a strong dose of willow bark tea, with some chalk as an exfoliant.

I follow this the next day by steaming, and expressing the plugs by hand (well, tissues, but I use my fingers, not an extractor)

I found a site that has simple to make home made facials to control several skin problems with our faces. I am going to start trying them out tomorrow. I hope that everyone can find something that will work for them and there problem. The web site address is http://www.dhamaal.com/beauty/homemade1_sea.htm
Take a look and let me know if anyone has found some that work and I will do the same
Danielle

things that made it better:
brown sugar paste, with a little honey and warm water. A -gentle- circular motion of -clean- hands on face. Its a gentle exfoliant that removed the layer over the blackheads. COST: $4

Neutragena anti wrinkle anti blemish wash --and no, I'm not really old enough to need the anti wrinkle stuff really, its more for the alpha hydroxy component that should help my pores heal and also it has a relatively low acid, just enough to get the dirt out without making my face produce more oil. It also has vitamin C in the form of organge or tangerine, again good to strip the gunk off without being harsh. COST: 7$

Excercise followed by a shower: sweat is good for the skin so long as its not just left there to clog up the pores again. Pushes out toxins. Also helps w/ stress.

Eat fruit/veg.

Queen Helene green julip masque: once a month, this stuff makes you look like the Hulk, but it helps (especially if you warm the face with water first) COST: $3

stuff I know works that I've not used personally:
Proactive. Yeah, this stuff REALLY does work. Honest. COST $40ish

I've battled this problem with blackheads for years! Nothing worked. I was mixing some things at home for an at-home exfoliation treatment and come to find out, it treated my blackheads too! This is what i used: 3/4 medium-sized glass of filtered water, ultimate aloe whole leaf 100% aloe vera juice, 3 capfuls of apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon raw-wild honey, 1 thumb-sized portion of Clean & Clear continuous control acne cleanser. This is the best exfoliation treatment i have ever used, it cleared away my blackheads, made my pores smaller and left my face soooooooo smooth! Sloughed off all my dead skin and left my face wonderfully soft and ready for my serums and moisturizers to work. I'm 47, and let me tell you, i've tried just about every thing on the market. Try this..i loved it!

It doesn't get rid of my blackheads but I have oily skin that is sensitive and I use Burt's Bees tomato facial soap and I have noticed a marked improvement in my skin in the past year that I have used it. They make a tomato toner too that is great. Not herbal but natural, so I hope my suggestion is okay.

Anyone who would like to correspond with anyone else by email can do so by clicking on the blue link after the name. Don't ask people to email you in a discussion thread, because the person may not see your request. Some people have a link to their email address posted and others, like me, can be contacted from the "My Page" link.

Oil removes oil. I've been using the oil cleansing method, a 50/50 combo of olive oil and castor oil to clean my face. Rub it on, heat a wet washrag to open the pores some, scrub and remove oil. Then I moisturize with coconut oil. there was a nasty detox period, but now my skin is the best I've ever seen.

I have one blackhead. I know, that doesn't sound like much, but I just can NOT seem to get rid of it. It's been there for a pretty long time...like at least a month. Is there anything I can do for it, or is it stuck there forever now???

Take 2 of each a day : flax oil fish oil, borage oil and alpha lipois acid (200 mg) you can get it at any drug store
I like walgreens. but you have to take evey day, at the same time or take them at differnt times. but if you stop taking it it will come back.

The best thing about this is it gets red of the acne, black heads and also it makes your skin look beautifull (glowy). this may take a week or two forit to all go away but you will see a change in 2-3 days. YOU HAVE TO TAKE THESE 4 TOGETHER FOR IT TO WORK WELL.

This isn't exactly an herbal remedy...well, really not at all.
One week while at Bed Bath and Beyond I had the unfortunate experience of looking into one of those lighted 10X mirrors. And with horror saw all the little black dots on my face!
I've been seeing my dermatologist regularly for some time now for an unrelated issue. A brilliant man. I told him of my experience with mirror at Bed Bath & Beyond and asked him about getting rid of them. I said if you look at the skin care isle at at store, there are so many different potions and lotions and masks and such that promise to get rid of them. Do they? I asked.
He said no. What really worked was a product (he didn't sell) called Aqua Glycolic. There is a face wash, and skin cream and they also sell a body wash.
The glycolic acid will feel like it's "burning" your skin when you first use it. It's just slight heat and tingling. It's just eating away at the upper layer of skin, the dead cells, as well as getting rid of those blackheads. I've been using it for a little over 6 weeks now, and my skin has never looked better (I've had several people ask me what I'm using on my skin....people NEVER asked me before).

I use the face wash (which you apply to a dry face and massage in then add water, work in some water then rinse). Then after my shower, I use a pea-sized amount of the face cream (tingles also), apply to cheeks, chin and forehead...and I'm done. Makes for very clear and smooth skin.
Again, not herbal. Sorry. But I've found it's the only thing that works for me. Aqua Glycholic. CVS Pharmacy sells it.

Outside of using the RX cream Retin-A, this is about it. And Aqua Glycolic is way more affordable. And it gets rid of lines and wrinkles as does Retin-A. Not right away. Be patient, but in 6 weeks, you WILL see an improvement. As with any skin care program, you have to commit to it.

And because the Aqua Glycolic renews and reveals new skin, I would strongly suggest a sunscreen to protect that new skin it brings out. Well, sunscreen is a given. You should ALWAYS have it on your face.

And Aqua Glycolic may not be for everyone. Some may find their skin is way too sensitive for it. But I consider it a wonder face wash and cream. It needs no advertising.

Hi, IM billy I've been trying to get rid of those ugly blackheads for a long time. i have them on my cheeks and nose and forehead. i alos got some oily skin too. Is any good home recipes or blackhead/oily skin cleansers???

first off relax, you cant change anything, its gonna happen either way, that's always been my problem i worry too much about everything!! and i can't change anything, so just relax and try this, its helped big time!!
1 get rid of them:
ok i used a home remedie to get the blackhead out, elmers glue, put it on and let it dry, then pull it off,
2 clean your face with a natural soap, i use shampoo,
soaps leave a film in the tub so imagine what its doing on your face? in my opinion.
3 balance it out i use distilled white vinegar (gross me out) but for some reason it helps keep my skin nice and soft and it also keeps away the blackheads and red spots that "used to" frequent my face
4 rinse it so i don't have the smell, just a quick splash of water. then dry. now i don't have the zit problem or the blackhead problem.
hope this helps ya all :')) and yes i still worry all the time, :'((

I used teeth whitening gel from the dentist. Put a dab just on the blackhead, let it sit for 5 - 10 minutes, used an extractor and they popped right out. It was amazing. It has a high concentration of hydrogen peroxide which eats the bacteria and oil. My daughter had no side effects. But bear in mind this is not it's recommended use, so be careful. And rinse thouroughly.

The acne product apparently being promoted is listed as having one active ingredient - benzoyl peroxide. Apart from not being herbal, it's the same agent sold in lots of over the counter products. They list a bunch of "inactive" ingredients, including some plant extracts (and decidedly non-herbal sounding things like methylpropanediol). Why sell a supposedly natural product if all the "natural" ingredients are listed as inactive?

The herbsncures site linked to by the Revitol spammer makes the following statement:

"Allopathic medicine is the conventional western medicine that aims at producing a certain condition in the body which is completely opposite to the bodily condition under the influence of a disease...Although, allopathic medicine provides instant relief but it comes along with some mild to severe side-effects. Besides allopathic medicine does not provide permanent cure as it does not work on the root cause of the disease but on the effects produced by the disease."

You're supposed to get the idea that the products they promote are an "alternative" to nasty old allopathic medicine. Except they all seem to be allopathic treatments as well, only with a lot more inactive ingredients.

Evidently "allopathic medicine" has gotten to be a catch-all term for "Western medicine" and is used as an all-purpose putdown. What the phrase's users don't realize is that herbalism, as well as most of the "dietary supplements" on the market are just as allopathic as "Western" pharmaceuticals - they're aimed at countering the signs and symptoms that plague disease sufferers. The opposite of "allopathic" is homeopathic - a practice that supposedly ameliorates disease by giving you an extremely diluted dose of something that causes the same symptoms (but is basically just water). The vast majority of supplements and agents like Revitol have in common with homeopathic drugs that they're ineffective for what they claim to treat, but the resemblance stops there.

lol, this is the third time that I tried posting this message. I thought it might be useful to someone out there. This is my last attempt. Anyway, one product that has worked well for me at the begining was the blackhead mask from blackheadmask.com- It's a Japanese product made of charcoal. Like I said, it worked great at first, and now it occassionally remove a few black/white heads, and dead flaky skin, maybe it will work for you too, or not. Here is a link of the youtube video where I was introduced to the product- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sht_5UdVch0

Acne cleansers are so abundant, sometimes it's hard to find the right one. I used Shielo's Complexion Scrub (which is also Antiaging) as my cleanser, as my skin tends to get pretty oily and I need a better exfoliant in the summer.

This face wash is essentially a better alternative to ProActive, as it has some similar ingredients but works more effectively. It foams perfectly, which is nice to find in an acne cleanser. This also really helps reduce oil. Sometimes the large grains in this wash can feel a little harsh, so I wouldn't recommend using this facial wash twice a day, as it could potentially damage the skin if used too frequently.

However, as a once in a while exfoliant, it works great to get my face squeaky clean and remove impurities. The cost is pretty comparable to most of the good cleansers out there, and the big bottle lasts a while. I like the design, as I usually have no problem getting all of the cleanser out of the bottle to avoid wasting money. Try it - it might work for you, too!

I agree with LiMei's recommendation of the Shielo Complexion Scrub. Here is my experience:

I'm eighteen, and I've had bad acne for all of my life; constant zits around my mouth, on my chin and forehead, and lots of blackheads on my nose, and my skintype was really frusturating; oily and greasey, yet dry all the time. Wash your face with water as hot as you can stand it for a while, or try steaming it, then use the Shielo Complexion Scrub to wash your face; it's incredible. It will dry your skin; just put a bit of oil-free skin lotion on your face after you wash it off, and be sure that the face wash you use isn't abrasive

The cool thing is, this stuff also shrinks and minimizes the little pocks that zits leave in your face; I used to have them really bad under my eyes, they're almost nonexistant now.

Blackheads are basically the same as whiteheads, except for blackheads have an oxidized fatty deposit. And when fatty deposits are oxidized, they turn dark. So they're called blackheads.However, it differs from other pimples because they are open, and not enclosed by a layer of skin like most spots or pimples. There are many different methods are available, you can use cleansing method to remove your blackheads. Use honey and cinnamon, honey is a natural antibiotic and works to pull out dirt from your open pores.Mix a tablespoon of honey with half a teaspoon of cinnamon and use your fingers to dab it onto your dry skin. Rub it in a circular motion for three minutes and then wash off with warm water. you will feel smooth skin and glossiness on your face. Superdrugsaver skin and beauty experts also suggest to go for better tips that suits to your skin and face, whatever method you apply for it, there shouldn't be any side effects that affects to your health and beauty.